Graphic Media Design

Full-Time Two Year Diploma. Next intake September 17th, 2018.

Founded in 1991, the Pacific Design Academy offers the
longest-running Graphic Design program in Victoria, with links to the graphic
design community through our graduates and the local branch of the Graphic
Designers of Canada.

Why you should study with us:

We offer a Cutting Edge, Industry-Sensitive CurriculumA board of industry professionals reviews our curriculum every year, ensuring that our courses are relevant to the ever-changing needs of employers in the field. Our Mac-based training environment boasts the latest industry-standard software.

We are Focused on Graphic DesignEach year you will receive 720 hours of education over three twelve-week terms. Unlike more generalized visual arts courses or quickie one-year courses, our Graphic Media Design program is intense and focused on preparing you for work as a graphic designer within an efficient time frame.

We’re ProfessionalsNot only are we are working professionals in the industry; many of our instructors have years of experience in passing along their knowledge. That’s quite a skill in itself!

We’ll Give You Individual AttentionOur small class sizes mean that we are readily available to offer help or guidance. And we care, we really do. We feel that your success is our success.

We’ll Help You Graduate with a Great Portfolio!With the wide variety of work-related, hands-on projects offered and our attention to detail, you’ll have the opportunity to graduate with a relevant and impressive print and interactive portfolio. Knock the socks off your prospective employer - many of our graduates already have. Join their ranks!

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Tuition and Lab Fees:Fees for all the programs are listed on page 3 of our Application Form.

“I am a recent grad from PDA and I can not say enough good things about the program! The department head, Jen Forbes, is fantastic and dedicated to the success of the students in the program. My skills have grown so much in the last 2 years and I feel confident that I will be successful in my career!”

Student 1

“I have really enjoyed my time at Pacific Design Academy. The program provided me with high quality instruction in the Adobe Creative Suite, design concepts, typography, and more. I would also like to thank Jennifer Forbes, our department head for everything she has done! I'm excited to start working this summer :)”

Student 2

"Loved it! I am ready to go! The perfect program for the ambitious, modern, creative individual."

Student 3

"I feel like PDA is teaching me the skills I need to find a career after graduation and enjoy coming to school every day."

Student 4

Course Description:

Drawing
& Illustration I & II
Students
will develop an understanding of drawing techniques appropriate to graphic design,
produce thumbnail roughs and explore a variety of mediums. Also this course
will concentrate on modifying original artwork for use in digital environments.

Conceptual
Thinking
This
course is intended to develop students' problem-solving and creative thinking
skills. Projects will cover a variety of design areas, which includes theories
of typography, graphic illustration and colour fundamentals.
Design
Fundamentals
Through
a series of demonstrations and projects students will review the elements and principles
of design and appreciate the function of the creative design process.
History
of Art & Graphic Design I & II
History
is a wonderful source of ideas and techniques. History of Art and Graphic
Design explores the historically influential styles that have affected design
in the 20th and 21st centuries, which brings to the students' attention the
vast, complex historical background of art and design.

Typography
I, II & III
The
history, anatomy and characteristics of typeface, point size, pica measurement,
and serif and sans-serif styles are important to the graphic designer who uses
words and letters in the design process. Students will consider typographic
choices and issues of legibility and readability in design projects such as
logos, letterheads, book and magazine covers, and illuminated letters.

Business
of Graphic Design
Students
will develop the professional skill sets necessary in the print industry. The
objective of this course is to illuminate for students the process of managing
a graphic design project, which includes designing marketable strategies,
preparing market-value cost estimates and time management schedules, as well as
adhering to professional conduct standards.

Effective
Communication
Beyond
your technical training and skills are the qualities that give you the edge to
get hired and remain grounded and creative in any circumstance. This class
imparts self-awareness and communication skills to make careers, working
relationships, and life more fulfilling and sustainable.

CopywritingCopywriting will identify marketable approaches for client- and consumer-relations and assist students in developing the necessary writing skills for professional-grade advertising projects. These classes will focus on improving communication and planning skills as they relate to advertising techniques.

Photography I & IIStudents will learn the general operations of digital camera equipment and imaging software as it pertains to producing commercial-quality print material. Uses of natural lighting to enhance subject matter, as well as cropping techniques, scanning and image enhancement will all be discussed.

Graphic SoftwareStudents will learn to navigate the Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) and develop the necessary skills for each software package. Adobe Illustrator will be used to design illustrations for print advertising and packaging; Adobe Photoshop to learn photo manipulation techniques; and, InDesign to design layouts for various print projects.

Studio ProjectsStudio projects emphasize the integration of design skills with learned software programs. Students will work on a variety of projects designed to stretch their use of imaginative design with the use of various software programs.

Interactive Media I & IIStudents will gain an appreciation of interactive media as it applies to the web and CD-ROM format. These courses cover applications specific to interactive media such as Adobe Fireworks and Flash, as well as an overview of Dreamweaver.

Media Projects I & IIStudents will create websites and CD-ROM materials using Flash to showcase interactive media development skills.

MarketingStudents will gain a better understanding of the relationship of marketing and graphic design. From Branding to Direct Marketing, lectures will cover how each different marketing approach succeeds and fails. They will learn the basic foundations of marketing but also gain insights on how to market online strategies through their online designs.

Sound DesignStudents will learn how sound applies to interactive media environments and to utilize and edit sound effects with tracks from sound libraries. Sound compression for the web, interactive technologies and their effectiveness in the workplace will be discussed.

Storyboarding I & IIStoryboarding is the ability to reduce a complete narrative structure into separate components. These components are then used as a guide during interactive media and motion picture projects. Students will learn to identify key concepts and break them down into the most important visual elements for screen shots and how to illustrate these screen shots using various mediums and drawing techniques.

Web Programming I & IIStudents will gain an understanding of interactive media as it applies to the web. These courses cover applications specific to interactive media, including Java Script, PHP and CSS.

Video TechnologiesThis class will cover video technologies as they apply to the web and interactive technologies. Subjects including web-casting, streaming video, video compression and optimization will be discussed.

Advanced Print ProjectStudents will design a variety of projects intended to be technically sound and prepared for the various print processes available to designers today.

Product DevelopmentStudents will complete a market plan with brand development. They will take an unbranded product and bring it to market.

Portfolio I & IIStudents will assemble their portfolios and learn to promote themselves in a professional manner using the skills they have developed through previous coursework.

Samples of Student work:

Graphic Design

Animated Logos

Animated Montages

Web & Social Media

Faculty:

Jennifer

Forbes

Head of Graphic Design

Jennifer has an Honours Degree in Commercial Art and over 15 years of Graphic Design experience. She has worked as an Art Director in the magazine publishing industry; as a Graphic Artist in the advertising department of a major newspaper; and as an Art Director in most aspects of the graphic design industry. Her experience in this field ranges from work for international agencies such as UNICEF to corporate clients in the real estate and tourism industries. Jennifer also enjoys the personal interaction of working with small companies and helping develop corporate identities and marketing strategies. She enjoys sharing information and has been a part time instructor for over ten years.